Question
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his oral statement of 22nd December, Official Report, V303 c677-9, if he will give a breakdown of the £2 billion provided in 1996-97 and the £1.4 billion in 1997-98 to support the beef sector, identifying what the money was spent on, and what proportion of the money was used in each year for government food safety or public health measures. - Inc ref to 22 December 1997, V303 c488-89W and table.
Answer
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his oral statement of 22 December 1997, Official Report, column 677-79, if he will give a breakdown of the £2 billion provided in 1996-97 and the £1.4 billion in 1997-98 to support the beef sector, identifying what the money was spent on, and what proportion of the money was used in each year for Government food safety or public health measures. [25253] Mr. Rooker: [holding answer 26 January 1998]: For the requested breakdown of 1996-97 expenditure, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Pollock (Mr. Davidson) on 22 December 1997, Official Report, column 488-89. The latest estimates of the equivalent figures for 1997-98 are as follows (not including the measures announced in the package, of which the beef industry's share is £72.5 million): _________________________________________________________________________________________________. £ million Non-BSE related Suckler Cow Premium Scheme 222 Beef Special Premium Scheme 219 Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances 52 Total (Non-BSE related) 493 BSE related Intervention 180 Export refunds -2 Over Thirty Month Scheme 395 Calf Processing Aid Scheme 54 Rendering Industry Support 69 Animal Feed Disposal Service 2 Suckler Cow Special Payments 8 Specified Risk Material Controls 23 Selective Cull 119 MLC/LMC Promotion Payments 2 Other Measures 21 Total BSE related 871 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. All the above expenditure relates to measures which support the beef industry, whether through direct payments, market intervention, rebuilding consumer confidence or in meeting the terms of the Florence Agreement in order to get the export ban lifted. Expenditure listed under Specified Risk Material Controls is principally concerned with increased controls in slaughterhouses and other meat plants and can properly be regarded as necessary to safeguard public health. The exclusion of meat from animals over thirty months of age from the food chain is a public health measure, but the market support provided in respect of such animals is not, properly speaking, public health expenditure.